Loading
Life sciences · Journal article
Pharmaceutical Biology · September 4, 2026
No summary has been generated for this record yet. What follows is drawn from its source metadata only.
Journal article.
No findings were extractable from the material analysed.
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
The source did not state who this applies to in practice.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
This record has not been graded across any dimension yet. Treat the label above as provisional and read the source.
What is missing. This record has no bottom line, key findings, reported figures, evidence dimensions. That is a gap in the analysis, not a judgement about the study.
Context. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), largely driven by chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, remains a major global health challenge with limited curative options in advanced stages. The hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) is a multifunctional viral oncoprotein that plays a central role in HBV persistence and hepatocarcinogenesis by disrupting transcriptional regulation, DNA repair, apoptosis, and immune responses.Objective. This review aims to evaluate the role of HBx in HBV‑related HCC progression and to examine the therapeutic potential of natural products that directly target HBx and indirectly modulate HBx‑driven antiviral and oncogenic pathways.Methods. A comprehensive literature analysis was conducted focusing on studies published over the past decade, including in vitro, in vivo, and clinical evidence addressing HBx-mediated mechanisms and the pharmacological effects of bioactive natural products, including plant‑derived phytochemicals and non‑plant natural compounds.Results. Accumulating evidence indicates that some natural products suppress HBV replication by reducing HBx expression, promoting HBx degradation, or limiting HBx‑dependent cccDNA transcription, whereas others primarily influence biological pathways associated with HBx‑driven hepatocarcinogenesis, including migration, invasion, fibrosis, metabolic reprogramming, and apoptosis resistance.Conclusion. Natural products represent a promising multi-target therapeutic strategy for HBV-related HCC by intervening in HBx-driven oncogenic processes. Future studies should focus on mechanistic validation, standardization of bioactive compounds, and well-designed clinical trials to support their translational application as adjunctive or alternative therapies.